Under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), the Federal minimum wage is currently $7.25 per hour but many states require employers compensate employees at a higher rate. A few states are changing the rules soon. Employees must be paid the rates and not the lower, Federal rate.
(Please check with you state to confirm these increases and for any additional information like changes to server minimum wages. Additionally, some cities have higher minimum wages than their states and that higher wage trumps the sate wage.)
State Minimum Wage Changes – December 31, 2015
New York: $9.00 per hour ($9.75 for fast food workers).
West Virginia: $8.75 per hour.
State Minimum Wage Changes – January 1, 2016
Alaska: $9.75 per hour.
Arkansas: $8.00 per hour.
California: $10.00 per hour.
Colorado: $8.31 per hour.
Connecticut: $9.60 per hour.
Hawaii: $8.50 per hour.
Massachusetts: $10.00 per hour.
Michigan: $8.50 per hour.
Nebraska: $9.00 per hour.
Rhode Island: $9.60 per hour.
South Dakota: $8.55 per hour.
Vermont: $9.60 per hour.
State Minimum Wage Changes – July 1, 2016
Maryland: $8.75 per hour.
Washington D.C: $11.50 per hour.
State Minimum Wage Changes – August 1, 2016
Minnesota: $9.50 per hour for large employers, $7.75 per hour for small employers.